Distance measuring device



Jan. 15, 1957 P. w. SPARROW DISTANCE MEASURING DEVICE Filed Oct. 9, 1953 Fly. 3

l/ 2 a 4 5 6 7 a 9 ol Q2345a789/0///2/a/4/5/a/r/a/9 l 4/8 Fig.5 I I0 J e0 0] L20 40 60 60 m0 /40 mo m0 l Perry W. Sparrow INVENTOR.

DISTANCE MEASURING DEVICE Perry W. Sparrow, Phoenix, Ariz.

Application October 9, 1953, Serial No. 385,239

1 Claim. (Cl. 33-141) This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in measuring devices, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herein described, which may be conveniently and effectively employed for computing scaled distances on maps, and the like.

Some of the advantages of the invention reside in its simplicity of construction, in its efficient and dependable operation, and in its adaptability to economical manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal, sectional view thereof, taken substantially in the plane of the line 2-2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical, sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 33 in Figure 1; and

Figures 4 and 5 are developed plans of the indicia carrying tapes used in the invention.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the measuring device is designated generally by the reference character and embodies in its construction a substantially trapezoidal housing 12 having a top wall 14, an open bottom 16, a pair of side walls 18 and a pair of end walls 20, the latter being inclined and extending from the opposite ends of the open bottom 16 to the top wall 14, as is clearly shown in Figure 2.

The top wall 14 is provided with a transversely elongated sight opening or window 22 in which is mounted a magnifying glass 24, and a transverse shaft 26 is provided in the housing 12 centrally under the glass 24, as shown. W

A conventional counter unit 28 is rotatably positioned on the shaft 26 and includes a pair of juxtaposed discs 30, 32, the same having internal teeth operatively engaged by a rotatable pinion member 36 carried by a plate 38 which is disposed between the two discs. The plate 38 is equipped with an anchoring lug 40 engaging an anchoring pin 42 which extends transversely of the housing 12, and the arrangement of the internal teeth of the two discs is such that ten complete revolutions of the disc 30 impart a single revolution to the disc 32.

nited Sitates Patent 0 The disc 30 is formed integrally with a travelling wheel 44 which is preferably toothed as shown, and projects downwardly from the open bottom of the housing 12 so that when the device is drawn along a map, or the like, rotation is imparted to the counting unit 28.

The two discs 30, 32 on the counting unit are either provided at the periphery thereof with computing tapes 46, 48, as shown in Figures 4 and 5 respectively, or corresponding computing indicia are painted on the peripheries of the discs. These indicia may be readily observed through the magnifying glass 24 so that when the invention is placed in use and is rolled along a predetemined course on the map, the actual distance in proportion to scale measurement may be quickly and easily determined. It will be noted that the lower edges 50 of the end walls 20 constitute abutment elements which may engage the map so as to prevent the housing 12 from rocking excessively on the axis of the shaft 26.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A measuring device comprising a trapezoidal housing having side walls and a top sight opening provided with a magnifying lens therein, a transverse shaft in said housing having its ends fixed in said side walls, a pair of hollow driving and driven counting disks rotatable on said shaft side-by-side and having internal circumferential teeth, the driving disk embodying a travelling wheel for rolling over a surface to rotate said driving disk, and said driving and driven disks bearing circumferentially spaced peripheral number symbols arranged in ascending numerical order in the same direction on each disk, a plate on said shaft between the driving and driven disks having an edge lug anchored to said housing to prevent rotation of said plate, and a twin transfer gear pinion journalled in said plate and meshing with said teeth and operatively connecting the driving gear to the driven gear to rotate the driven gear in the direction of rotation of the driving gear.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 238,563 Brown Mar. 8, 1881 1,877,061 Schroll Sept. 13, 1932 2,493,912 Brown Jan. 10, 1950 2,495,974 Kelley Jan. 31, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 14,457 Great Britain Nov. 9, 1886 523,029 France Apr. 13, 1921 

